Suspenders



J. ALEXANDER March 18 1924.

SUSPENDEHS Filed Dec. 22

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Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

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Application filed December 22,4922.- Seria1 IIb.-608',4i9

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns ALEXANDER, a citizen of. the United. States, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Suspenders, of which thefollowing is a specification. f c I My invention relatesto improvements in suspenders of the form that is used as an article of mens apparel, and the object of my improvement is to provide as the resilient element a metallic spring in lieu of the usual elastic webbing and which has limited life, whereby a substantially uniform result. is obtained under conditions of use and which will extend continuously over a relatively long period of time, and, further more, wherein are incorporated certain features as to the details of construction so that the finished device is relatively simple and economical to produce. and is convenient and efiicientv in use.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a rear or outside elevation'of the rear portion of a pair of suspenders embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an inside view of the same, showing the side or face that comes next to the back of the wearer.

Figure 3 is an edge view with the stitching on the adjacent edge ripped so as to expose the interior structure.

Figure 4 is an inside View with the back or inside canvas layer removed.

My improved suspenders comprise a pair of shoulder straps 10 that are made of nonelastic web-b ing, in lieu of the usual elastic webbing, and have as the means for providing resiliency to the structure a spring 11' in the form of a relatively elongated coil. One end of said spring 11 is connected to the lower ends of the shoulder straps 10 and the other end thereof is connected to a slide loop 12 that is provided for the trousers tab member 13.

The tab member 13 is made of leather, has a pair of button-hole tabs 14 at the ends, and the body portion 15 that interconnects said ends is of rounded, cord-like form so as to be adapted to slide in the slide loop 12, in the usual manner.

As the means for making the connections mentioned with the spring 11 I provide a pair of wire loops 16 of similar form, each being made of a single piece of wire.

' The-wire loops 16 comprise in each case a elosed eye 1M4; one en'd and atransversely CllIQCtQCl-bfil structure 18 altthe other end and spaced fromtheleye 17 so as to permit of material 'be-ing-mou'ntedon the bar. Side connecting members 19- connect the eyef17 mane bar18;

The ends of thespring 11* are connected to the two eyes 17. A limit-ingco-rd-2 0 is threaded through the eyes "17 and through the spring 11 and has a 'knot 21 at each end to prevent being pulled "through the "eyes 17 when the spring 11- has.beenfs tretched to the limit provided or -permitted by the cord20, The bar 18 onthe upper.wire'loo-p-16 is connected to the shoulder straps 10 through the medium of a connecting piece 22 of leather that also serves as a finish on the exposed side ofrthe shoulder strap ends.

The upper-end-portion 'of said leather piece 22 overlays the crossed and overlapping ends 23 of the shoulder straps 10 and at the lower end thereof there is a-loop' 21 formed by a return bend of. the material. The bar 18, is housed inthe lo'opk'2 1 mentio-ned. I l

The lower wire loop-16 is positioned immediately above the slide loop 12. As to details, the bar v18 of said lower wire loop 16 is connected to the inside arm or wall structure 25 of the slide loop 12 and at the upper end thereof by means of a loop structure 26 that is similar to the loop 2 1 mentioned, and which is also made of leather, as will be explained.

The slide loop 12 is formed by a return bend of a piece of leather having the inside armor wall structure 25 already described and having on the outside the 'front arm or wall 27 that is continued upwardly. so as to provide the body structure and outside body wall 28 of a socket structure 29 in which is housed the spring 11 and the ends 23 of the webbing of the shoulder straps 10 is appreciably enlarged or flared out laterally so as to provide a suitable covering for the corresponding parts that are housed within the different portions of the socket structure 29 and to provide a neat and finished appearance,

The back wall proper 32 of the socket structure 29 is formed as shown, of a layer of canvas and linings are provided for both the back or inside wall. 32 and the front or outside wall 28 in the form of an additional layer 33 of canvas. Suitable stitching serves to hold together the structure of the socket 29, a row 3a of such stitches being exposed on the outside adjacent the edges of the outside body wall structure 28.

The construction described permits of securing the lower wire loop 16 to the leather body wall 28 of the socket structure 29 and then forming the slide loop 12 by means of a return bend, the canvas parts being finally applied and secured by the stitching.

The arrangement described has been found satisfactory after extended use.

As described, the lower 7 end of the shoulder strap structure, as represented by the connecting piece 22, and the upper end of the trouser tab structure, as represented by the slide loop 12, are operatively connected by means of the coil spring; said spring and the adjacent parts are housed within the vsocket structure 29; said socket structure is in the forin of a self-sustaining tubular structure that is supported from its lower end, the upper end portion being free from any supporting connection; said lower end is incorporated in the structure of the slide loop; and the connecting piece 22 and the upper end portion of the socket structure 29 overlap one another and are slidably engaged, the one telescoping within the other.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination in suspenders, a pair of shoulder straps having the back ends overlapping one another, a connecting piece overlaying said overlapping ends, having the opposite side edges in parallelism, and being provided with a downwardly directed extension, a single coil spring connected to said extension and extending downwardly therefrom, a socket structure composed of a front wall and a rear wall serving as a housing for said spring and the adjacent portion of said connecting piece, the lower end' portion of said socket structure having a tab loop and also being connected to the lower end of said spring, and the upper end portion of said socket structure having the interior side walls that are opposed to said side edges also in parallelism so as to cooperate therewith as guide means under conditions involving telescopic movements of the parts.

2. In suspenders having resilient means provided in the form of a spring of metal and having a socket structure for enclosing said spring and adjacent parts, a trousers tab and a loop for supporting the same, said socket structure having an outside wall structure in the form of a single piece of material, said piece of material having at the lower end an extension that is turned inwardly and upwardly by a return bend. to provide said loop, and the upper tip end portion of said extension being connected to the lower end of said spring.

JAMES ALEXANDER. 

